Whenever I make soup, I always wonder why I don’t do it more often. It’s shockingly easy – a little chopping, a little stirring, a little simmering and you’ve got a pot of nourishing homemade goodness. With plenty of leftovers. It’s a win all around.

This simple recipe is courtesy of the Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry. We gave a cooking demonstration at last week’s food distribution and it was an absolute hit – it didn’t hurt that it was 20 degrees and snowing. Total soup weather. It’s the perfect recipe for Meatless Monday (and gluten-free with the brown rice pasta) but it can easily be made Paleo or Whole 30-friendly by replacing the beans and pasta with chicken. In fact, 3 of us brought a pot in for sampling, and all 3 of us utilized different ingredients. Try vegetable or chicken stock, pasta or orzo, chickpeas or kidney beans – it’s guaranteed comfort food on a snowy evening.

Hearty Minestrone Soup

Serves 4

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup chopped onion

1/3 cup chopped celery

1 carrot, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

4 cups vegetable broth (homemade or store bought low-sodium)

1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes (no salt added)

½ cup chopped spinach

1/2 cup chopped eggplant

2 cups cooked chickpeas or red kidney beans

½ cup uncooked small gluten-free pasta

1 small zucchini or yellow squash

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots, sauteeing until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

2. Stir in broth, tomatoes, spinach, eggplant, beans and pasta. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.